


Where is My Mind

by doorstepdreams



Series: Missing Scenes [7]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling, bro swearing, undeclared but implied holsom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 16:45:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12016884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doorstepdreams/pseuds/doorstepdreams
Summary: Where does Mr. Smiling Eyes Ransom go when he’s having one of Those Times?





	Where is My Mind

**Author's Note:**

> This is post-anxiety attack and mostly describes the kind of tenderness and exhaustion afterward. The rating is solely because of college boy language, this really is just supportive Haus family being supportive of Rans. 
> 
> Title from Where Is My Mind by Pixies

_Bzzt Bzzt_

A hand jams down Justin’s shorts pocket from the wrong direction, tugging his phone out and past the few gaps in the fortress of blankets. He hears Adam tinkering around with it and the shift of his hips as he pockets it in his own pants.

He lets the clickety-clack of typing resume before flipping down the bit of blanket over his eyes.

“March again?”

Adam clunks at his trackpad with one finger as the other hand grabs Justin's knee and shakes it.

“Yeah. I told her something was up with Bits and we needed to help. She thinks we should just marry him and get it over with.”

“‘Tchuh, I would.”

“Chyeah. Same, dude.”

The object of their proposals patters his way downstairs and into the living room, bundled up in boots and a coat despite the mild weather.

“What’re you two plotting over there?”

“Will you marry us, Bitty?” comes the stereo response.

Bitty chuckles bright and gleeful, skipping around to their side of the couch.

“I thought you boys would never ask!” he says in a breathy version of his own accent.

He kisses Adam on the head but pauses when he sees Justin’s face. The look shared between Adam and Bitty is intentionally obvious and for that Justin is extremely grateful.

There’s a soft rustle as Bitty paws around to find a chest under the blankets before lying across him and pressing their foreheads together.

“Want anything, Ransers?” Bitty’s whisper is sweet and close.

Justin turns his head to nose into Bitty’s hairline to breathe in that babyish, innocent freshness that Bitty has never lost. He brings his hands from underneath himself and holds Bitty lightly through the layers of blankets and coat.

He wants to fall asleep for ten hours and wake up refreshed, is what he wants. He can’t even find the strength to know how exhausted he really is.

Everyone in class chirping him in annoyance at how he ‘somehow manages to do it all, but never seems to be doing anything’. It isn’t as if he’s hiding it: the way he can’t look at a page of text without it lodging in his brain for all of eternity, or how certain songs become synonymous with an entire hockey game, mixed liberally with March telling him about her last visit home. No matter how often he explains that it’s not possible to think at this rate while remaining outwardly engaged, she still thinks he isn’t listening. But he does listen. He repeats it all back to her word-for-word and for some reason she gets even more annoyed.

Then when he lets go and has fun, his jock buddies outside SMH aren’t at all subtle about assuming he’s somehow being handed his grades because of his parents being immigrants.

All of that shit from other students isn’t as bad as the advisers flaking out on him just because ‘the Oluransi kid is gonna be fine - he’s so far ahead - nothing phases that one’.

That isn’t as bad as being unable to tell his own mother that just because a method yields successful results doesn’t mean it has longevity. That he worries his brain will one day fill up and then dump it all out, taking all the fun and silly shit that makes life worthwhile right along with it...

“Nah, thanks, Bits,” he mumbles, pressing three quick kisses against the silky skin above Bitty’s brows. Thankfully, Bitty doesn’t get up immediately. Just sinks deeper; a warm curve over Justin's torso.

“What’s this? Cuddle pile on Ransom?”

It shouldn’t still be a surprise that Jack is so tactile now, but it’s a pleasantly notable feeling when he places a hand each on top of Justin and Bitty’s heads and gives them a little shake.

“Dude, nah, this couch is gonna bre--aaahhhhh!”

Jack has nudged his ass onto the two of them and is experimenting with settling his full weight. Justin and Bitty scream with laughing terror directly into each other’s faces, eyes bugging out. Adam swivels awkwardly while holding his laptop and plants a foot on one of Jack’s asscheeks, trying to force him away valiantly.

“Jesus Henderson Christ, Jack! Your dumptruck of a butthole is gonna eat my goddamn leg!”

“Bitty to the rescue!” Justin yells, turning Bitty onto his back and adding his booted feet to the effort of knocking Jack over.

Jack stumbles forward and admits defeat and they all cheer, Justin making Bitty’s hands clap by swinging his arms back and forth.

After a few more minutes of tousle, Jack tugs Bitty to his feet and they’re off to go grocery shopping.

The air is still humming with boyish energy, but Justin has retreated back under his blankets. His breathing is far more natural and Adam can sense it, putting away his laptop and tugging Justin’s feet into his lap.

“I literally never want to leave here, man.”

Adam doesn’t outwardly acknowledge the frailty in his friend’s voice. Just kneads at the long bare feet in his lap and hums before he answers.

“Not for another year, we got time.”

“Don’t wanna fuckin’ think about med school… getting a goddamn mortgage... shit.”

A sigh gusts out of him and he yanks his arms out of the blankets, as if they were restraining him. In seconds, Adam’s got ahold of one hand in his own.

It’s fine. Shitty’s the only one in the house. The frogs are in classes all day. It’s fine.

“We’ve always got options, Jus.”

It’s the same response every time and Justin knows it’s intended just as seriously as it was the first time. Adam’s eyes are soft but intense behind his thick lenses. His dry-ass hair won’t sit down in any kind of way on his huge-ass head. He seems to eclipse the whole damn couch beneath his bulk and one of his serving platter hands is still holding Justin’s foot.

Justin palms at his own face where it’s a little wet around the eyes.

“Just gotta get through it, eh?”

Adam nods once and squeezes the hand still in his.

“Okay, pickle. Time for fresh air and Vitamin D.”

Justin sighs but agrees. They disentangle from the couch and stretch out their kinks in tandem, both ending in whooshing sighs.

“Left my shoes upstairs. Be right back!”

“Alright, get your hat while you’re at it, Mr. Mela-none,” Justin chirps, slipping his own shoes on just outside the kitchen. He spots Shitty’s bare ass sticking out from where he’s bent over and hunting in the fridge.

“Don’t eat that Zero bar in the freezer!”

Shitty looks up in surprise and farts in a way that also sounds surprised. His mouth is literally stuffed with cold fries as he gives Justin a keen, penetrating look.

“Ruh ooha fuffuh?”

“Yeah man, just a bad morning. Gonna go walk and then Jerry’s. Join later?”

“Arfth.”

Justin nods and bounces a little on his feet, getting his blood flowing and feeling his head settle heavy and real again.

He nudges easily into Adam as they walk out the front door into the blinding sunlight, both taking dramatic lungfuls of fresh air as soon as they’re on the porch. Adam sounds like such a horse that Justin can’t stay serious anymore.

The smile settles back on his face where it belongs and everyone walking along Frat Row that afternoon returns it back to him.

**Author's Note:**

> as always thank you to WrathoftheStag for beta! 
> 
>  
> 
> [on tumblr](https://jack-manpain-zimmermann.tumblr.com/post/165048457000/where-is-my-mind)
> 
> Shitty says "are you okay?" and "yes" in his Bostonian-stuffed-with-fries voice!


End file.
